Friday

The New England chapter of the Emmy Award organization (NATAS) announced in April it would bestow upon Bill O’Reilly its prestigious Governor’s Award for a lifetime of achievement in television news.

Comcast/CN8’s Barry Nolan didn’t react well. Nolan, who once hosted “Evening Magazine” and “People Are Talking” for WBZ-TV in Boston and went on to national tabloid prominence hosting “Hard Copy,” said O’Reilly was a “mental case” who didn’t deserve the prize.

Nolan called on NATAS to rescind the honor, adding that he would bring as his “date” to the awards dinner O’Reilly’s archrival in TV land, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann.

To no one’s surprise, Nolan’s “protest” became a rally-of-one, and Olbermann didn’t respond, much less show up as Nolan’s “date” at the dinner May 10. Nolan was then fired after distributing anti-O’Reilly literature at the event.

It’s unfortunate Nolan lost his job, and some say it violated his free speech rights. But here’s what I want to know. When he launched his tirade, didn’t it cross Nolan’s mind that calling O’Reilly a “mental case” might trivialize his point?

Didn’t he think to ask Olbermann to be his “date” before promising Keith would join him in a protest against the most powerful man in cable news?

Barry Nolan is no dummy. He’ll tell you himself he’s a MENSA member. Maybe his brain got so overdeveloped on the “smarts” side, the common sense side turned to mush.

No matter what words he used, Nolan was just wrong to say a man with O’Reilly’s track record doesn’t deserve recognition.

O’Reilly is a huge success story. Growing up relatively poor, O’Reilly finished college and landed several good jobs in media before earning advanced degrees in journalism and government at Boston University and Harvard, respectively. He used his experience and political acumen to recognize the potential for success in a news show like “The O’Reilly Factor,” and he was obviously correct. ‘The Factor’ has been No. 1 in cable news for seven years running.

Whether you like O’Reilly or not – agree with him never or, like me, agree with him sometimes, but throw your shoe at the television every once in a while – there is no denying O’Reilly’s success.

Admittedly, I’m biased. Bill invited me to the Emmy Awards dinner as his “date” (along with a few other Boston friends and pundits who appear on ‘The Factor’). He also wrote the foreword for my book, “And Justice For Some,” gave a talk at the New England School of Law where I teach, at my request, and he hired me to work with him on his Jessica’s Law campaign. But I still criticize him when he deserves it.

Bill O’Reilly is unapologetically opinionated, yet he lets all sides have a voice. He might scream at the ones with whom he disagrees, but unlike other news sources that purport to be objective yet produce predominantly one-sided views of certain issues, O’Reilly at least opens the door to robust public conversations about issues that affect our nation.

In a country that prides itself as the free speech capital of the universe, O’Reilly’s format is a breath of fresh, if sometimes abrasive, air.

As an advocate for victims of violence, I am particularly grateful that Bill took the lead in the fight against child sex abuse, spearheading an initiative that has led to better child rape laws nationwide.

O’Reilly’s work on behalf of children boldly broke ranks with typical partisan ideology. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have an established record fighting to protect kids. O’Reilly made helping children politically important and, for this reason among others, I was proud to sit at his table to watch him receive the Governor’s Award.

I sat up even taller when Bill stood to receive his award amid a few barely audible “boos” coming from the direction of Barry Nolan’s table.

The adults in the room didn’t join in. They listened attentively as Bill thanked Massachusetts for giving him a start in the news business, and he praised the Bay State as the most important news market in America. He didn’t say a word about being called a “mental case” – which is one of the reasons he was being honored, and Barry Nolan got fired.

Wendy Murphy is a leading victims rights advocate and nationally recognized television legal analyst. She is an adjunct professor at New England School of Law and radio talk show host. She can be reached at wmurphy@facul ty.nesl.edu

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